The recoveries also remained higher than the new cases reported within the last 24 hoursCoronavirus Cases in India Today, Coronavirus Variant Delta Plus Cases Live Updates: There is hope that the situation might improve soon in India as the number of new cases in the last 24 hours continued to decline for the third consecutive day and remained below 50,000. The active caseload also remained a little shy of the 5 lakh mark, a figure India has dropped down to after 97 days, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The recoveries also remained higher than the new cases reported within the last 24 hours, which is positive news, because recoveries being higher than new cases over a sustained period of time indicate the end of the pandemic.
However, the worries of a third wave are also rampant, especially considering the fact that as soon as restrictions have eased, people have started going on vacations and flouting COVID-19 appropriate guidelines again.
Meanwhile, vaccines continue to be the biggest ray of hope as India administered over 43 lakh vaccines within the last 24 hours. Since June 21, when the revamped vaccine drive was launched by the Centre, 6.3 crore doses of vaccine have been administered, the Health Ministry added. Cumulatively, 34.46 crore vaccine doses – including first and second – have been administered across the country.
Financial Express Online brings you the latest coronavirus updates.
Highlights
7,85,311 COVID-19 vaccine doses, highest in a single day so far, administered in Maharashtra today: Senior official (PTI)
A deadly fungal infection known as "black fungus' that first surfaced in Indian COVID-19 patients has been detected in Afghanistan, which is in the middle of a brutal third wave of the coronavirus, Health Minister Wahid Majroh said Saturday. Afghanistan has recorded one death from the fungus, which has been detected in two other patients, he said. In Afghanistan, where people rarely wear masks and there is no social distancing, the numbers of new cases have been steadily rising, with 1,272 new cases in the past 24 hours and 92 deaths.
The testing rate in Afghanistan is barely 4,000 a day. Since the pandemic began last year, Afghanistan has recorded 124,757 cases and 5,199 deaths though the figures are believed to be wildly underreported. In the capital Kabul the health ministry has added hundreds of new beds for the increase in patients, yet the capacity rate is still at nearly 100 percent. Afghanistan is also running short on oxygen and poor Afghans wait sometimes for days for oxygen cylinders to be filled at the few production plants in Kabul.
Meanwhile barely 2.5 per cent of Afghanistan's over 36 million people have been vaccinated, as the country has struggled to receive the promised vaccines under the U.N.-sponsored COVAX scheme. The fungal condition caught global attention in India and has surfaced in Egypt. (AP)
More than 1.6 lakh Covid vaccines were administered in the national capital on Friday, taking the total number of people who have been inoculated to over 82 lakh, the Delhi government’s vaccination bulletin said.
The bulletin issued on Saturday said a total of 82,12,158 vaccines have been administered in the national capital so far. | Read More
England should retain some coronavirus measures beyond July 19, when most remaining restrictions are due to be lifted, to help limit the spread of the disease, a doctors’ union warned on Saturday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed last Monday that most restrictions in England will end on July 19, on what has been dubbed “Freedom Day”.
However, on Thursday he said British people may have to continue taking some precautions, without giving details. The British Medical Association wants people to continue using face masks and called for a renewed focus on ventilating properties after a sharp recent rise in COVID-19 cases, with 27,125 reported on Friday. | Read More
COVID-19 New Face Mask Technology: The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, and even though vaccination drives have largely started in most of the countries, the fear of another wave fueled by a different mutation still looms, especially in India where warnings of a third wave are gaining pace. Adherence to COVID-19 appropriate guidelines is still important. Amid this, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have developed a technology that attempts to make the fight against the pandemic a little stronger. A wearable biosensor technology has been developed by the team through which face masks are able to detect COVID-19 in the breath of the wearer. | Read More
Tamil Nadu reports 4,013 new COVID cases, 4,724 recoveries, and 115 deaths today.
Active cases: 35,881Total recoveries: 24,23,606Death toll: 32,933 (ANI)
Karnataka reports 2,082 fresh COVID cases, 7,751 patient discharges, and 86 deaths in the past 24 hours
Active cases: 48,116Total discharges: 2,76,863Death toll: 35,308 (ANI)
Goa on Saturday reported 169 fresh coronavirus positive cases and seven fatalities while 207 patients recovered, the state Health department said. With the new additions, the tally of infections in Goa rose to 1,67,272 and the death toll to 3,069. The overall count of recoveries went up to 1,62,074, leaving the coastal state with 2,129 active cases, a Health department official said.
With 3,513 new tests, the total number of samples tested so far in Goa has gone up to 9,33,845, he added. Goa's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 1,67,272, new cases 169, death toll 3,069, discharged 1,62,074, active cases 2,129, samples tested till date 9,33,845. (PTI)
Kerala on Saturday reported 12,456 new Covid-positive cases and 135 related deaths, taking the total affected in the State to 29,61,584 and the toll of fatalities to 13,640 so far.
State Health Minister Veena George said 1,19,897 samples were tested in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 10.39 per cent. Till now, 2,34,38,111 samples were tested.
Among the districts, Malappuram reported the highest number of cases at 1,640 followed by Thrissur 1,450 andErnakulam 1,296. (PTI)
Government of Goa is now launching Tika Utsav 1.2 from 5th July, which will emphasise on the administration of the 2nd dose of vaccine to those who have completed 84 days: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant (ANI)
UP reports 112 fresh COVID-19 cases and two fatalities, taking state's infection tally to 17,06,495 and death toll to 22,622; active case count 2,461: Govt statement (PTI)
This will help to get the vaccine WHO emergency use listing. It will also give visibility to the country that an indigenous vaccine has been accepted for emergency use authorization listing by WHO: Dr NK Arora, Chairman, COVID working group on Covaxin efficacy results (ANI)
Karnataka | After second wave, people are behaving more responsibly. Govt is easing relaxations to ensure normalcy. We will be strictly enforcing covid protocols. Violation will lead to action against individuals or establishments: Kamal Pant, Commissioner of Bengaluru Police (ANI)
Bengaluru | Despite relaxations we should ensure covid appropriate behavior. We have called a joint meeting with the Police deparment. There is a need for caution & police dept has agreed to work together; strong actions against violation: Gaurav Gupta, Commissioner BBMP (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh reports 2,930 new COVID-19 cases, 4,346 recoveries, and 36 deaths in the past 24 hours
Active cases: 35,871 Total recoveries: 18,51,062Death toll: 12,815 (ANI)
Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said there is a progressive decline in COVID-19 cases in all eight northeastern states but cautioned that the fall in active cases must be followed with greater thrust on vaccination and strict observance of relevant protocols. At a review meeting with health secretaries of all the eight northeastern states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim - Singh expressed satisfaction that they were catching up with the national average in terms of the decline in positivity rate. (PTI)
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday lauded the local Sikh community for providing support to people through various assistance programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic regardless of race, religion or background. Wearing a white Sikh turban, Prime Minister Lee, who attended the inauguration ceremony of Silat Road Sikh Temple which was renovated during the pandemic, greeted the community members with a "Sat Sri Akal". Prime Minister Lee said that places of worship, including the Silat Road temple and other Gurdwaras, have had to cope with disruptions brought about by the pandemic. (PTI)
This will help to get the vaccine WHO emergency use listing. It will also give visibility to the country that an indigenous vaccine has been accepted for emergency use authorization listing by WHO: Dr NK Arora, Chairman, COVID working group on Covaxin efficacy results. (ANI)
Cases of COVID-19 might be declining steadily but as the virus is mutating, attaining that magical zero figure in Delhi is unlikely, experts have said, and predicted that coronavirus will be reduced to an endemic in the future. The Centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain had said last year that one will have to learn with coronavirus and make its prevention norms a part of our lives. Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital said there will always be a few cases of the virus. "Zero is an unlikely figure. The virus is mutating and it is difficult to predict it's future behaviour," he said. (PTI)
Sikkim reported 178 fresh COVID- 19 cases, raising the tally to 20,955, a health department bulletin said on Saturday. The death toll remained at 308. The northeastern state now has 2,058 active cases, while 18,336 people have recovered from the disease so far, it said. Of the new cases, West Sikkim registered 64 infections, followed by 60 in East Sikkim, 51 in South Sikkim and three in North Sikkim. (PTI)
An Indian-origin doctors' association chief in the UK on Saturday called upon the government to keep some compulsory safety measures in place to not "throw away" the progress made in the fight against COVID-19 when lockdown restrictions are lifted later this month. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the Council Chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) 'a leading doctors' union, warns that coronavirus infections continue to rise at an "alarming rate" with the Delta variant of COVID-19, first detected in India.
The Centre has sanctioned funds from the PMCares Fund for setting up a vaccine-testing laboratory here, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said on Saturday. I thank Honble PM Shri narendramodi Ji for sanctioning funds for setting up of Vaccine Testing Lab at Hyderabad. A big step forward towards comprehensive development of pharma sector in Hyderabad, which will also boost production of COVID-9 vaccines, Reddy, a Lok Sabha member from Secunderabad, tweeted. The increased focus on vaccine production against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated more vaccine- testing laboratories in the country, Reddy said in a press release. (PTI)
Authorities in Sri Lanka say state-run schools will reopen this month after being closed for nearly three months due to a surge of COVID-19. As a first step, arrangements are being made to reopen schools which have fewer than 100 students, the education ministry said Saturday. The ministry has identified nearly 3,000 such schools and they will reopen first, while other schools will follow in stages. (AP)
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday described the coronavirus pandemic as the most serious challenge that has faced humanity in living memory as he asked the Indian strategic community to focus on the world after Covid and its implications for the country. The vice president, who is the ex-officio president of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), made these remarks at the 19th meeting of its governing council. Earlier in the day, he had chaired the 20th meeting of the governing body of the ICWA. (PTI)
In order to ensure strict enforcement of the COVID-19 protocol, the Delhi Police has issued 1.37 lakh challans for not wearing masks and 22,000 for violations of social distancing norms between April 19 and July 2 this year, according to official data. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had last month announced various relaxations in the ongoing lockdown that was imposed on April 19, saying the Covid situation was improving and the economy of the city needed to be revived. (PTI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed a growing gap between the actual and targeted vaccinations and asked where are the vaccines. "Mind the gap," Gandhi said on Twitter along with a chart highlighting the difference between the targeted and actual vaccinations. The chart showed that the actual vaccination was 27 per cent less than the target. He also used the hashtag "WhereAreVaccines" to press the point that the current vaccination drive was slow. (PTI)
Kolkata Police has arrested another associate of Debanjan Deb, who was apprehended for allegedly masterminding fake vaccination camps in the metropolis, officials said on Saturday. So far, nine people have been held in connection with the case, they said. The man was arrested near the the Central Metro Station in B B Ganguly Street late on Friday. "The accused is a resident of Tangra and had played a key role in organising a vaccination camp at City College," a senior police officer said. (PTI)
Odisha's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 9,19,026 on Saturday as 2,917 more people tested positive for the infection, while 45 fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 4,154, a health department official said. Some of the cyclone Yaas-hit districts such as Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Khurda and Bhadrak have been reporting daily more than 100 coronavirus cases each, which is a cause of concern, he said. (PTI)
The Tripura government has extended the COVID curfew from 2 pm to 5 am in Agartala and eight other urban local bodies (ULBs) till July 9, a notification said. However, the night curfew from 6 pm to 5 am has been lifted from the villages. (PTI)
Countries across Europe are scrambling to accelerate coronavirus vaccinations and outpace the spread of the more infectious delta variant, in a high-stakes race to prevent hospital wards from filling up again with patients fighting for their lives. The urgency coincides with Europe's summer holiday months, with fair weather bringing more social gatherings and governments reluctant to clamp down on them. Social distancing is commonly neglected, especially among the young, and some countries are scrapping the requirement to wear masks outdoors. (PTI)
Puducherry posted 147 fresh cases of COVID-19 during the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Saturday, raising the overall infection count to 1,17,787. Only one additional death was reported from Puducherry raising the toll to 1760. The new cases were spread over Puducherry 103, Karaikal 34, Yanam 3 and Mahe 7. (PTI)
Ladakh recorded 11 new Covid cases, taking the infection tally to 20,101, while 34 patients were discharged after being cured as the overall recoveries rose to 19,658, officials said on Saturday. There has been no Covid-related death in Ladakh for the last 13 days, they said. So far, 202 people -- 58 in Kargil and 144 in Leh -- have died due to the virus in the union territory, they added. (PTI)
The COVID-19 caseload in Arunachal Pradesh rose to 36,572 as 404 more people tested positive for the infection, a senior health official said on Saturday. The Capital Complex Region reported the highest number of new cases at 86, followed by West Kameng (64), Tawang (30), Pakke Kessang (26), Papumpare (25), East Siang and Upper Subansiri (22 each), State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said. (PTI)
Mizoram on Saturday reported 233 fresh COVID-19 cases, raising the state's tally to 21,003, an official said. The northeastern state now has 4,010 active cases, while 16,899 people have recovered from the disease, he said. The death toll, however, remained at 94. Of the new infections, Aizawl district reported the highest number of 134 cases, followed by Kolasib and Lunglei - 43 and 22 cases, respectively. (PTI)
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) held a special anti-coronavirus vaccination camp for sex workers in the city, a civic official said on Saturday. The camp was organised on Friday as part of the civic body's attempt to cover the neglected sections of the society under the vaccination programme, spokesperson of the NMMC, Mahendra Konde, said. (PTI)
Flexible and agile vaccination strategies can play a vital role in protecting lives in India as COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, according to a latest Lancet report. The report 'Responsive and Agile Vaccination Strategies Against COVID-19 in India' published by the Lancet Global Health on Friday highlighted the importance of sentinel site based surveillance and detection of early warning signal through test positivity ratio (TPR). "Our analysis offers a demonstration of principle that even limited vaccination resources could be marshalled for maximum impact, if deployed flexibly in response to a rapidly evolving epidemic," the report said. (PTI)
Flexible and agile vaccination strategies can play a vital role in protecting lives in India as COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, according to a latest Lancet report. The report 'Responsive and Agile Vaccination Strategies Against COVID-19 in India' published by the Lancet Global Health on Friday highlighted the importance of sentinel site based surveillance and detection of early warning signal through test positivity ratio (TPR). "Our analysis offers a demonstration of principle that even limited vaccination resources could be marshalled for maximum impact, if deployed flexibly in response to a rapidly evolving epidemic," the report said. (PTI)
Flexible and agile vaccination strategies can play a vital role in protecting lives in India as COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, according to a latest Lancet report. The report 'Responsive and Agile Vaccination Strategies Against COVID-19 in India' published by the Lancet Global Health on Friday highlighted the importance of sentinel site based surveillance and detection of early warning signal through test positivity ratio (TPR). "Our analysis offers a demonstration of principle that even limited vaccination resources could be marshalled for maximum impact, if deployed flexibly in response to a rapidly evolving epidemic," the report said. (PTI)
The COVID-19 toll in West Bengal rose to 17,158 after 23 fatalities were registered in the state on Friday, the health department said in its bulletin. As many as 1,422 fresh cases pushed the tally to 15,02,706, the department said. North 24 Parganas district accounted for eight deaths and the city for five fatalities, the bulletin said. At least 1,840 more people recuperated from the disease since Thursday, raising the total number of recoveries to 14,65,219. (PTI)